Tesda has P41.5-M fund to train Quezon youth

MANILA, Philippines—The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) has set aside P41.5 million to train the youth of Quezon province.

The scholarships would enable young Quezon residents to get Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and expand their capability beyond agriculture.

“We need to develop the young men and women who would not only work in the fields, but for the various companies and industries that are sprawling in the province,” said Tesda director general Joel Villanueva in a press release.

Quezon, potentially the “new axis of growth in the Southern Tagalog region,” is the country’s leading coconut producer and has an annual high yield of rice, corn, bananas, mangoes and vegetable.

Villanueva said a skilled workforce would help the province attain its potential.

“There is a shortage of skilled workers for various jobs in the country and abroad,” he pointed out. “Companies are on the lookout for solution in the ranks of the skilled workforce.”

“We hope the young people of Quezon will avail of this opportunity to train for free and be ready to get hired,” the Tesda chief said.

The P41.5 million worth of scholarships will be for free training courses in mechatronics servicing, bread and pastry production, shielded metal arc welding, electrical installation and maintenance and automotive servicing under the Tesda’s different programs.

The agency’s programs include: Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Projects (GPBP); Special Training for Employment Program (STEP); and Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA).

STEP is a community-based specialty training program to address the needs of communities and promote employment, particularly, through entrepreneurial, self-employment and service-oriented activities.

PESFA is a program extending financial assistance to marginalized but deserving students in technical-vocational courses and help private schools develop TVET through a steady supply of enrollees. Scholars under the program, established through the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, are given free training, student and book allowances, and competency assessment after graduation at no cost to enable them to secure national certificates.

GPBP, formerly called the Bottom-Up Budgeting program, aims to reduce the number of poor families by creating livelihood and employment opportunities through skills and entrepreneurship training.